California State University, Sacramento

English 20: Expository Writing
Images of the University: What Is College Like?
Spring 2000 

Course Description:

English 20 focuses on exploratory, expository, and analytical writing; development of research skills; reading, summarizing, evaluating, and integrating texts, including literature by both men and women, and by a number of ethnic groups, focusing on a single broad theme.

Warning
THIS SECTION OF ENGLISH 20 WILL MAKE EXTENSIVE USE OF COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS AND RESEARCH TOOLS -- E-mail and the World Wide Web. See below for required technology.

The topic of inquiry for this section of English 20 is "What are our popular images of what college is like?" We will explore the accuracy of these images and the reasons for their persistance.

This course will include many writing opportunities -- several short assignments and two longer papers -- which will be based on reading and structured inquiry, including group research and class discussions and presentations. Your own writing and presentations and those of your classmates will be considered as significant sources in your inquiry.

This class begins with several assumptions:

  • students' experience of higher education are both similar & unique,
  • colleges and universities share many goals and features, but differ in the focus of their missions, structures, and traditions,
  • the language used in the university and within each academic discipline is a specialized discourse which must be learned; academic English is nobody's native language.

    Building from these assumptions, the members of the class will develop a set of issues within the general question of the purposes and varieties of higher education which we wish to pursue. Students will be responsible for collecting and sharing relevant texts--articles, books, stories, film, and electronic documents--which illuminate these issues, deepen our shared knowledge, and provide evidence for possible answers. Many of the topics which we will investigate will be generated by the class.

Prerequisite:

English 1A with a C- or better, or equivalent

3 credits

Technology Requirements

Students will need an electronic mail account and computer access to the Web. All CSUS students enrolled in one or more units can create a SacLink account for electronic mail and Internet services.

You must have a SacLink account for access to WebCT.

Although a home computer with a high speed modem running Netscape or Internet Explorer would be beneficial, students can use the Web from one of the campus student labs.

If you are not currently using e-mail and the Web, you must be willing to learn these technologies rapidly in order to succeed in this class. Talk to me soon if you need help!

Computing Recommendations

Comfortable using the computer and browsing the Web

Windows compatible Pentium or higher, running Windows NT, or
Windows 95/98 or higher or
Macintosh with System 8 or higher

32M RAM (preferably 64M or more)

28.8K or faster modem (preferably 56K)

Microsoft Internet Explorer or NetScape 4.0 (or higher)

SacLink Account (You may also have an additional email or internet account,
but you must have SacLink to use WebCT.)

Word processing skills

Online class participation on the Web assignments and electronic discussions.

   

Benefits on Online Learning

  • Flexible Scheduling: Students generally work full-time, many have family responsibilities, and many live a distance from campus. Being able to collaborate with fellow students and communicate with the instructor from home or work can be a major convenience.
  • Increased Interaction with Classmates: Web-based communication tools can actually increase interaction among students by permitting group work that would be difficult to arrange if students had to meet in the same place at the same time.
  • Enhanced Learning: Time saved traveling to and from campus (and looking for parking) can be redirected to learning!
  • Virtual Office Hours: Electronic communication between students and the instructor can actually increase the degree of our interaction, since you can e-mail me at your convenience, rather than find time to get to my office or reach me by phone.
  • The Web's the Limit (not the instructor): The World Wide Web has a wealth of resources from which you can learn a great deal more than I can teach you. Everywhere, the role of the faculty is being reconceptualized as that of "coach" rather than "instructor". Students are perfectly suited to take advantage of coaching to get out of the course what will be of most value to them.
  • Electronic Competency on the Job: The competence in dealing with electronic environments that you develop in this course will be of great value to you in your workplace.

Successful Student Characteristics

  • Discipline to complete projects by deadlines instead of waiting until the end of the semester.
  • Motivation to read, write, and participate fully in class activities.
  • Time to devote approximately 9 hours a week outside of class time to a 3-credit course.
  • Ability to work independently and in teams.
  • Flexibility in dealing with technology problems.

 

Instructor

Alan Kalish's Web page and e-mail kalish@csus.edu.

INSTRUCTOR / RESOURCES / SYLLABUS / CALENDAR
DEPARTMENT / CSUS
Page updated: 19 January 2000